{"id":175337,"date":"2026-04-08T07:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T05:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=175337"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:33:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:33:46","slug":"plasma-and-lemon-juice-milder-method-retrieves-nearly-95-of-critical-minerals-in-battery-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/plasma-and-lemon-juice-milder-method-retrieves-nearly-95-of-critical-minerals-in-battery-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"Plasma and lemon juice: Milder method retrieves nearly 95% of critical minerals in battery waste"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"BorlabsCookie _brlbs-cb-youtube\"><div class=\"_brlbs-content-blocker\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-embed _brlbs-video-youtube\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_brlbs-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/borlabs-cookie\/assets\/images\/cb-no-thumbnail.png\" alt=\"YouTube\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-caption\"> <p>By loading the video, you agree to YouTube&#8217;s privacy policy.<br><a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy?hl=en&amp;gl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more<\/a><\/p> <p><a class=\"_brlbs-btn _brlbs-icon-play-white\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Load video<\/a><\/p> <p><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"unblockAll\" value=\"1\" checked> <small>Always unblock YouTube<\/small><\/label><\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><div class=\"borlabs-hide\" data-borlabs-cookie-type=\"content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-id=\"youtube\"><script type=\"text\/template\">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<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Critical minerals such as those used in lithium-ion batteries come in limited supply and are concentrated in specific regions around the world. Securing a reliable supply of these materials is a priority for governments worldwide, yet most spent batteries end up in landfills, leeching toxic chemicals into the environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cRecycling waste batteries is the most practical solution for tackling this strained supply chain, but studies show that that happens with less than 10% of battery waste,\u201d said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.rice.edu\/student\/gautam-chandrasekhar\"><strong>Gautam Chandrasekhar<\/strong><\/a>, a doctoral student in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/msne.rice.edu\/\">materials science and nanoengineering department<\/a>\u00a0at <strong>Rice University <\/strong>who is a <strong>first author on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/adma.202515201\">a study<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0pioneering a new battery recycling method.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers used a brief microwave-induced plasma treatment to recover nearly all of the valuable metals in battery waste using room-temperature, comparatively mild solvents, including citric acid. The process also regenerated graphite \u2014 the main material in a battery\u2019s anode.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.rice.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/bxs2656\/files\/inline-images\/251206%20Plasma-13%20copy.jpeg\" alt=\"Sohini Bhattacharyya, Gautam Chandrasekhar and Xiang Zhang\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sohini Bhattacharyya, Gautam Chandrasekhar and Xiang Zhang \u00a9  Jorge Vidal\/Rice University<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWith plasma pretreatment, almost 95% of metals, including lithium, can be recovered from battery black mass using nothing harsher than the acid found in a lemon,\u201d said <strong>Chandrasekhar<\/strong>, who is part of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.rice.edu\/faculty\/pulickel-ajayan\">Pulickel Ajayan<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ajayan.rice.edu\/\">research group<\/a>\u00a0at Rice.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Current recycling protocols involve shredding battery waste down to a substance known as black mass, which contains minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, manganese, aluminum and more. Processing black mass for mineral extraction typically requires energy-intensive industrial processes involving high temperatures and strong acids, and recovery rates are uneven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIndustrial battery recycling processes in use today have very low metal extraction efficiency and focus mostly on the cathode,\u201d said\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.rice.edu\/faculty\/xiang-zhang\">Xiang Zhang<\/a>, assistant research professor at Rice<\/strong> <strong>and a co-first author on the study.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Lithium can be particularly difficult to capture efficiently, and graphite \u2014 which makes up roughly 22% of the battery\u2019s weight \u2014 is rarely returned to batteries because it gets damaged during conventional recycling processes.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.rice.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/bxs2656\/files\/inline-images\/251206%20Plasma-12%20540.jpeg\" alt=\"A custom microwave plasma reactor was used to treat black\u00a0mass for 15 minutes. \" style=\"width:345px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A custom microwave plasma reactor was used to treat black\u00a0mass for 15 minutes. \u00a9 Jorge Vidal\/Rice University<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThis is one of the most important things to note regarding battery recycling: As the single most voluminous component in lithium-ion batteries, graphite remains almost\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41578-025-00848-5\">irreplaceable as anode<\/a>\u00a0in widespread commercial battery applications,\u201d said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.rice.edu\/staff\/sohini-bhattacharyya\"><strong>Sohini Bhattacharyya<\/strong><\/a>, a research scientist in the Ajayan group who is a <strong>corresponding author on the study.<\/strong><br><br><strong>Bhattacharyya<\/strong> said the goal of the research was to develop a one-step pretreatment process for battery recycling that could be added onto existing industrial processes to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts while recovering \u201call critical materials, including graphite.\u201d<br><br>\u201cWe hypothesized that using microwave-induced plasma to break down the metal oxide particles as a pretreatment step would make their hydrometallurgical recovery in weaker acids easier,\u201d <strong>Bhattacharyya<\/strong> said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>To test their hypothesis, the team used a custom microwave plasma reactor built by Zhang. After exposing black mass to microwave-induced plasma \u2014 an energized gas of charged particles \u2014 for 15 minutes, more than 90% of all metals were recovered in a citric acid bath at room temperature, while lithium was selectively recovered in water. Moreover, the treatment was found to remove residues and structural defects that accumulate on graphite during battery use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe recovered graphite shows excellent performance as an anode when reintroduced in a battery,\u201d <strong>Chandrasekhar<\/strong> said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/news.rice.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/bxs2656\/files\/inline-images\/00Bart_3.jpg\" alt=\"Rice University researchers used a brief microwave-induced plasma treatment to recover nearly all of the valuable metals in battery waste using room-temperature, comparatively mild solvents, including citric acid.\" style=\"width:361px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rice University researchers used a brief microwave-induced plasma treatment to recover nearly all of the valuable metals in battery waste using room-temperature, comparatively mild solvents, including citric acid. <br>\u00a9 Jorge Vidal\/Rice University<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The technology has been patented, and the team is moving toward commercialization. Early technoeconomic analysis suggests the process could outperform current industrial methods, particularly by recovering graphite in a form suitable for reuse in batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThis is a breakthrough methodology for recovering all critical minerals from battery black mass with minimal chemical and energy usage,\u201d said <strong>Ajayan, Rice\u2019s Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson<\/strong> Professor of Engineering and professor of materials science and nanoengineering.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Peer-reviewed paper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Plasma-Assisted Sustainable Recovery of Critical Minerals from Li-ion Battery Waste \/ <em>Advanced Materials<\/em> \/ Authors: Gautam Chandrasekhar, Sohini Bhattacharyya, Xiang Zhang, Atin Pramanik, Maryam Amiri, Tanguy Terlier, Simon M. King, Aadit Vinoda and Pulickel M. Ajayan; <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adma.202515201\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adma.202515201<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Critical minerals such as those used in lithium-ion batteries come in limited supply and are concentrated in specific regions around the world. Securing a reliable supply of these materials is a priority for governments worldwide, yet most spent batteries end up in landfills, leeching toxic chemicals into the environment. \u201cRecycling waste batteries is the most [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":175358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"15-minute pretreatment enables recovery of metals and graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[14796,10416,16733,10453],"supplier":[574],"class_list":["post-175337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-batteries","tag-circulareconomy","tag-energystorage","tag-recycling","supplier-rice-university-houston"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175337"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175368,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175337\/revisions\/175368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175337"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=175337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}